Is an Identity Theft Protection Subscription Worth It? Here's What You Need to Know

As a cybersecurity expert, I've had a love-hate relationship with identity protection services for more than a decade, despite having served as an advisor to some of these companies and using more than a dozen services. I'm often asked the same two-part question at presentations I give on identity theft and fraud: Are these services any good, and can I trust the companies behind them? The answer is complicated. The identity protection industry has a checkered past, and has survived some early headwinds. I also believe identity theft protection companies can exaggerate what they do for subscribers. On the other hand, they offer helpful credit monitoring and online security tools for anyone who doesn't want to do the grunt work of keeping tabs on their identity or their children's. ID theft protection can also come in handy if your identity is stolen and you need help restoring it. Early identity theft industry scandals Many of the major identity theft protection providers have been ... Read full article.